Introduction
The last episode started with fan service. It ended with fan service and a set up for some of our intrepid heroes. This one picks right up where the last one left off and, honestly, you gotta wonder how The Ghoul and Lucy are going to get out of it. Of course, they do, and the epsiode is off and running. We get more backstory, an introduction to House finally, and more with Norm’s group. Lucy also finally “fin’ds” her father and The Ghoul gets an update on his family. Let’s dig in.
Follow the Dog
Pick up where we left off. Lucy and The Ghoul facing off against the Deathclaw.
Then another. And another. Okie dokie. “I defer to you about what to do in this situation.” “Run!” “Have anymore drugs? I need more drugs?” “Drugs, no I don’t have any more drugs.” “Well, then, what weapon do you recommend?” “Have a rocker launcher in that bag.” “No.” All of this hiding behind a car. One of the Deathclaws climbs onto the car. Dogmeat runs and hides. The Ghoul shoots to create a diversion and they do run, hiding in the same place that Dogmeat hid.
Title screen
What happens in Vegas (Big Whoop)
| Daylight and a drone shot over Vegas. “So this is Vegas, huh?” “Yep.” “And those surprisingly smelly monster lizard things. They haven’t always been here.” “Nope.” “Okay. I’d ask why my father went into a den of giant monsters, but you’d probably just tell me to shut the fudge up.” The Ghoul sighs. He tells the story about a plan for a special vault for management. “That’s where my wife is. My daughter, too.” He’s found a few special vaults for management sprinkled around. All empty. “But I never found one in Vegas.” “So, if my dad’s in there, so is your wife and daughter.” “Yep, and they’re surrounded by these fucking things.” “You can’t just waltz around a pack of Deathclaws.” “They’re called Deathclaws?” Lucy tries to convince him that even though she’s in an altered mental state, they should shoot them in the face. And they should do it fast because she’s running out of drugs. He sends her to a place called Sonny’s to get something that will clean out the drugs. Where’s he going? “To get fucked up.” I should say here that while walking, they passed a guy with a clapboard that said, “Beat me up 4 caps.” Lucy replies, “No, I’m okay. Thank you.” The Ghoul walks into a bar. Nope this isn’t the start of a joke. “Whiskey.” he orders. The keep pours a glass. “The bottle.” He sighs and sips the whiskey. “Guess you saw the Deathclaws. Big whoop. Just another change in management. NCR..Legion, etc. Robots. Don’t matter to me. Just someone trying to tell me what to do. Just don’t charge me taxes. I’ll shoot their goddamn head off.” “Stop…talking.” The Ghoul says and the keep complies and leaves him to drink. The Ghoul catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looks genuinely sad |
Stays in Vegas?
A flashback. “Vault-Tec Presents…”
A newsreel about the government twiddling their thumbs with our communist adversaries across the pond, a group of entrepreneurs gathers to figure out the fate of the free world. Led by Robert House…what does he think of his chances of succeeding? “Where I’m from, which is America, the house always wins.”
Hank meets them at the airport and offers to take their bags. He’s already burdened as Cooper says. “I’m suddenly a very important person and a possible assassination target.” Cooper lies and says he needs to call his agents. Checks in about the assassination of House. The take away, “The end justifies the means.”
Cooper: “I tell you what. I’ll stop the exchange. I’ll get your cold fusion back. But I”m not going to kill a man to do it.”
Rags to Riches, Tony Bennett
Cooper and Barb riding in the car. There’s striking workers outside of the casino. One bangs on the window. “You sold us out.” They see a giant cardboard cut of him. While getting a picture with Cooper, they see the Congresswoman being removed from the premises and being thrown on the ground. Cooper helps her up. “That’s fine. Fighting the good fight is just a seemingly endless series of humiliations.” Barb calls him away. “Keep at it” He advises.
They’re in the Lucky 38. Glitz and glamour and douchebags. Barb needs to talk to some reps. “Care to join?” He declines and goes to get drinks. Nope, a lie again. He’s following Hank. He finds him at the bar. House enters in slow motion. He approaches Cooper. It’s not House. “Mr. House would like to see you.” Bobby Apartment! Just read that the other day.
Victor Howdy Pardner.
Coop Howdy.
Right this way. Cooper enters into Robert House’s office. “Hello, I’m Robert House. I was just eager to meet you. I know you came to Vegas to kill me. Did you not?”
A New Mission
It’s the Snake Oil Salesman looks like he’s on his way to Vegas. He hops over a Deathclaw skull and gets attacked by a Rad Roach. Picks some flowers after killing the Rad Roach. “Let’s get Lucky, shall we?”
“Hello, gorgeous. How I’ve missed you. I’ll admit you’d be disappointed in how I acted while gone. But you can’t blame a guy for filling the void, can you?”
“Fully Integrated Security Technotronic Officer active and reporting for duty.”
“That makes two of us.”
Hank sneaks up on them. “Oh, a lookie loo? Go over there and watch like a civilized pervert. Now, where were we?” Hank brains him and the next scene is him driving by cryo storage. They make a point to show Barb and Janey’s cryo chambers.
SOS wakes up with a device in his neck. “How would you like to forget everything you’ve ever known? Everyone you’ve ever known? Your language skills will remain intact. Every choice you’ve made and everything you’ve known will be erased.”
“Yes”
Hank fires it up. The guy seems to be enjoying himself. Hank fires it up. They cut away. No kablooey. Hank is pleasantly surprised. He chuckles softly. “Let’s begin.” Presses a red button
Shut the Fuck Up. I’m Trying to Be A Better Person
With Norm’s crew. Outside of a Vault Tec facility. Norm looks to be in awe. They enter the facility. It’s in ruins. “Ew, it’s so dirty in here.” “It’s like walking on garbage.” “One of these guys must be the janitor” meaning a dead dude. Blook on the wall and metal in place. “Uh, guys?” Norm. They seem unconcerned. “It’s Janice. At her desk like always.” “She always was a kiss ass.” Chuckles, then a loud bang from behind the metal barrier. Rightly scares the hell out of them. “I need to craft a weapon.” “We should get out of here.”
“This is my squat.” “It’s our squat.” “They know what I mean.” “Oh, look, more vault dwellers.” “What do you mean, more?” Norm.
“Can I ask you a question? What’s making all that noise?” “Roach farm.” “How big are they?” “Not big enough for market yet. But they’ll get there.”
Norm is talking to the shop keeper from Filly. She tells him that she met Lucy. Norm has no idea what she’s talking about otherwise. “Your sister is dead, honey.” “You don’t know that. You don’t know my sister.” “I know the wasteland better than you do.” “I know plenty what it does to folks as soft as you are. I’m going to tell you what I told her and I hope for your sake, you listen. Go home, Vaultie.” “Come on Barb. If you need supplies before you leave, take em. But leave my roach farm alone.” So, you become a good samaritan all of a sudden?” “Shut the fuck up. I’m trying to be a better person. Good bye dipshits.”
They leave
Who Are You?
Lucy finds Sonny’s but she might not have enough caps for what she needs. Heads to the casino. Then down the alleyway and into an open door. Sneaks around. Find the addictol and steals it. Also grabs a power fist. Sonny comes back down the stairs. Lucy tries to sneak back out but sees a dead person in a barrel.
“What are you doing?”
“I came in the wrong door.” She notices a picture. “Are you Sonny?”
“He left town.”
“So that’s not him in the trash can?”
“No he came in to rob the place.”
“He’s naked. Did he come in naked?”
“Yeah. It’s not that strange to rob a store naked. Lots of people do it.”
“Okay, I”m just going to leave. Dont’ shoot me. Don’t touch that gun. If you touch that gun I’m going to have to maim you.” He does and she does. She sighs and goes to help him. “Sir, I’m sorry I.” He’s dead. “Oh gosh.” Someone walks in. “Oh, who are you?”
“I don’t know.”
Cooper Howard Meet Robert House
Back int the bar with The Ghoul. He collects his things and goes up the stairs.
Back to the flashback. House is regaling him about how he’s interested in Cooper, but not of his films. He doesn’t care for fiction. But their destinies are mathematically entwined. Cooper asks about Bobby Apartment. Hey, it’s a living.
“Mr Howard, I was there with you in Alaska.” “I doubt that very much.” “Not physically, of course. I’m not insane. But I did license a piece of software that allowed me access to the power armor you wore. I saw. I saw it all. I saw the demon in the snow. And I think it’s connected to the future of this great nation…and to your wife.”
Cooper comes down the stairs. “Like yourself Mr Howard, I am an apex competitor. We are the best at what we do. What I do is I know things….I know who makes what….today I’m acquiring cold fusion from Vault-Tec.” “From my wife.” “That will allow me to live forever in a non living form that will allow me to protect Vegas from the coming nuclear war.” “Started by my wife.” He talks about how he uses stats to predict future events and it told him the end of the world. April 14 2065 at 5:17 am. Is that date of any interest to you? “That’s my daughter’s birthday.” “That is vexingly curious, isn’t it? More curious is that you weren’t meant to come to Vegas. Your wife was meant to come alone. When you bought your ticket to Vegas, the end of the world jumped forward by a month.” What are you a fortune teller? I’m a mathematician, something else, and a casino owner. But I don’t know how you fit in. I don’t like unknown variables.”
Vault Tec will not drop the bombs. I think there’s another player at the table. That stranger with you during the demon in the snow. But I believe in one maxim. “The house always wins.” “Yes, but what if I’m not the house. What if its someone else?” “What if you’re just a fucking lunatic?” House loses his shit and goes off on Howard, basically accusing him of being the one who brings the end of the world. Cooper drinks and it brings us back to the ghoul in a hotel room.
F…E…V?
Back in the office building with Norm’s crew. They’re trying to get a radio working to contact “the investors”. Norm sees Claudia crying and checks in on her. It’s finally coming to her that everyone she knew is dead. She had a cat named Puppy. Funny, huh? Well, not right now, I guess. “You don’t strike me as the kind of person who signed up for this. Did you know about the program?” “I just started a week ago. What they said sounded pretty nutty.” “So you didn’t know?” “No, but there was this exec. Bud’s boss. Barbara Howard.” “Do you know where her office is?” Norm works at the computer.
“You’re not really Bud’s successor are you?” “How’d you know?” “Because you’re not absolutely nuts.” “Thank you.” “But the rest of them are nuts. If they knew that Bud lied to them, who knows what they’d do. Sorry that sounded dramatic, but I just watched the world end a week ago. I could use a drink. You want a drink?” “I’ve ever actually had one.” “Really? I’ll be right back.” Norm searches for Future Enterprise Ventures. There’s a related search. FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus). The computer gets unplugged and one of the guys accuses Norm of lying. He gets the best of Norm and chokes him out with the power cord.
I Thought We Were Friends
Lucy walks through the streets of Vegas. She takes a hit of the medicine and vomits all over the street. But, it seems to work. She finds The Ghoul. “I think we can say I’m officially done with dru—” “Window.” She vomits again. On top of someone. “Watch it!” They shout. “You done?” She sits down. “Thanks.” “Least I can do. Considering.” “Who’s that?” “I’ll let him explain.”
It’s the Snake Oil Salesman. All cleaned up. “Hi. *sing song*. I was sent here by your father. Mr. McLean is quite impressed that you followed him this far but he’s quite secure in an underground facility. There’s no reaching him from here. Not without his explicit invitation.” “You’re going to lead us out of here and take me to my father.” “I’m no able to do that. He’s watching over this man’s wife and child…he’s willing to make a deal. One family’s safety for another. He will leave your family alone if you bring his daughter back to him. He’s got some plans and he’d prefer if you wait it out. Do you accept?” “You can’t actually be considering this.” SOS smiles. “Lucy I brought you here to bargain with. This is the bargain.” She looks genuinely hurt. “We were actually beginning to get along.” “Yeah.” He shoots her with a tranq gun. “Mmmm, wonderful. I’ll inform management that you made an agreeable decision. Good afternoon.” SOS leaves. Lucy pulls the dart out, rushes him, and fallsto the ground. Ghoul sighs. “Take a nap.” pours a drink. “When you wake up, you’ll be home. Couldn’t be helped. Family’s a fucked up thing.” Quick jump back to cooper in the elevator drinking. Then grabbing another and another. Making his way through the casino. A worker being led out. He gets handed another drink.
Lucy stirs.
“Oh my God, Cooper Howard. Can I have a kiss. You have to ride the missile.” Like a bucking bronco.
Lucy stands, rushes him, hits him with the power fist. He falls out of the window and gets impaled on a light post.
“I thought we were friends.” She passed out again.
Cooper falls off the missile and lies in the inflatable. Barb finds him and takes him to the room. He’s recovering from the hangover.
“We need to talk.”
*footsteps approach and open the door. Lucy’s dad walks in.*
“My little sugar bomb.”
Lucy stirs and passes out again.